Details have emerged regarding dozens of “harassing, obviously fake, and profane” complaints received by a newly created ombudsman’s office for institutions of higher education, along with others that fall outside its jurisdiction.
An investigation into the single valid complaint against Stephen F. Austin State University remains ongoing.
According to documents obtained by Texas Scorecard, complainants have expressed alarm over perceived political intrusion into taxpayer-subsidized higher education institutions. According to complainants, this alleged political intrusion has restricted so-called “academic freedom.”
Several complaints uncritically repeated a debunked hoax that Texas A&M restricted the teaching of Plato. Other complaints referred to the ombudsman’s office as “fascist,” “maoist,” “neo-nazi,” “racist,” and used vulgarities to describe elected officials including Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
While the documents do not specify the political orientation of these complaints, online profanity is a well-documented left-wing tactic.
Documents also included a single, heavily-redacted complaint against Stephen F. Austin State University. The complaint alleges that SFSU is running a “shadow DEI program” and outlines a conflict over alleged “misgendering” of a male claiming “transgender” status.
The complainant in this case is represented by outgoing State Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park). Cain recently lost a race for the U.S. House.
These complaint forms were submitted via a WordPress portal between January and June 2026. The submissions came from students, parents, staff members, and concerned constituents addressing various public and private colleges across the state.
Other complaints, which fall outside the jurisdiction of the office, allege a series of administrative, financial, and operational grievances. Students report institutional issues including bad-faith administrative retaliation, improper transcript withholding, and undisclosed digital material fees violating Texas House Bill 1027. Other notable entries include a health science student protesting mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policies required by external clinical sites, a former university librarian alleging widespread institutional rot and mismanagement, and an employee alleging workplace retaliation following a research laboratory explosion.
The office’s statutory jurisdiction is limited to general education curriculum review, faculty councils or senates, DEI initiatives, responsibility of President/CEO for annual evaluations, grievance, hiring, discipline authority of President/CEO, and general education curriculum advisory committee.
Complaints also require evidence “to support the Statutory Complaint, such as copies of correspondence, enrollment agreements, course catalog information, and any other information believed to be relevant to the matter of the Statutory Complaint.”
Finally, complaints require “specific facts supporting the allegation, including relevant dates, identifying information regarding the individuals involved, and any supporting evidence in the individual’s possession.”
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board oversees a variety of functions related to the state’s taxpayer-subsidized higher education institutions.
Complaints can be submitted online at the Office of the Ombudsman’s complaint portal.
